Rolling sheet metal.



No. 672,667. Patented Apr. 23, I901.

' C. B. CUSHWA.

ROLLING SHEET METAL.

(Application filed May 29, 1900.) (No Model.)

WITNESSES INVENTOR QM/swam fiamb,

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CHARLES E. CUSI-IWA, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROLLING SHEET METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,667, dated April 23, 1901.

Application filed May 29, 1900. Serial No. 18,373. '(No model.)

of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,have

invented a useful Improvement in Rolling Sheet Metal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, which is a plan view of a rolling-mill plant that may be used with my invention.

Heretofore in the manufacture of iron and steel sheets such as are used in the manufacture of tinned iron and steel and all kinds of light sheet metal for tin-plate it has been customary to roll the ingot, billet, pile, or bloom in grooved rolls to a bar of the desired width and thickness to make the sheet metal. After having been rolled to this size the bar has been passed along a conveyer to shears, where it has been cut into the desired lengths. These pieces cut by the shears have, after being allowed to cool, been taken to a heatingfurnace, Where they were heated, after which they were passed through suitable rolls to bring them into sheets. These sheets have been then allowed to cool, after which they were placed one upon the other, with sometimes three, sometimes four, sometimes five, or even six sheets piled together in one pack. These packs have been placed in a heatingfurnace, where they'have been heated, and then they have been passed through suitable rolls to bring them down to the desired thickness. In cases where the packs were too thin the iron would have to be doubled, reheated, and then passed through the rolls to bring it into sheets of the desired thickness. All of this reheating and doubling has involved a considerable amount of time, labor, and expenditure of fuel, which has added greatly to the expense in the manufacture of sheet metal.

The object of my invention is to do away with reheating of the bars and sheets and to roll the sheet metal continuously from the ingot, billet, bloom, or pile Without any interruption in the operation.

I will now describe my invention, so that others skilled in the art may employ the same.

In the drawing, a I) represent the grooved bar-rolls by means of which the ingot or other piece of metal to be Worked into a sheet is reduced into bars. Leading from these rolls a b is the conveyer c, at the outer end of which are the shears d. All of these pieces may be of the ordinary construction. Leading from the shears d are the two conveyers e 6', each of which leads to a table ff, which tables are situate in front of the sheet-rolls g 9. Between the sheet-rolls g g are the finishingrolls h, in front of which rolls are the workingtable t'and shears k.

The operation of these parts is as follows: The ingot, bloom, or other piece of metal of which the sheet is to be formed is brought from the heating-furnace to the rolls a b in the usual manner. After the ingot has been passed through these rolls and has been brought to the condition of a bar it is passed along the conveyer c to the shears d, where it is cut into suitable lengths to be rolled into sheets, and instead of being allowed to cool these lengths or pieces are passed to the conveyers e 6, along which they are carried to the tables ff, and from these tables they are passed through the rolls 9 g, after which the sheets passing from these rolls 9 g are piled one upon another into a suitablepack. These packs are generally composed of four sheets, two each from the rolls g g. This pack is passed without reheating through the finishing-rolls h. Where it is not possible to reduce the pack of four sheets to the desired thickness, it may be out at the shears k, and the parts being placed one on top of the other a new pack is formed, which is passed through the rolls h until the pack is reduced to the desired thickness.

The advantages of my invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art. Sheet metal may be produced rapidly and economically from the bloom, ingot, or billet without any reheating and without any extensive additions or alterations in the plant.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of rolling sheet metal, con-, sisting in first heating the ingot or other piece of metal, rolling it into a bar, cutting it into suitable lengths, passing these pieces on double conveyers to a double set of rolls, and finishing the sheets on a set of rolls common to both pairs of rolls, without reheating the ing operation without reheating the pack;

metal; substantially as specified. substantially as specified. :0

2. Ihe method of rolling sheet metal, con- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set sisting in rolling the ingot or other piece of my hand. 5' metal into a bar, cutting the bar into suit- CHARLES B. OUSI-IWA.

able lengths, rolling two or more of these Witnesses: lengths simultaneouslyinto sheets, piling the JAMES W. PRESCOTT, sheets to form a pack, and continuing the roll- JAMES K. BAKEWELL. 

